In the Lion's Den
by LilySGrace
Summary: After being trained and conditioned to be the perfect Malfoy heir since birth, Draco Malfoy's world is suddenly turned upside down when he gets sorted into Gryffindor - the last place you would expect to find a Malfoy. How will this small twist affect the entire world's fate? DISCLAIMER: I claim no part of the creation of Harry Potter and it's world and characters.


p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="78c2085d9a35fd45cc442b2b3f8fdd8f"The door swung open at once. A tall, stern looking, black haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8532329e4b0d17b062b613411b09d71d""The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the oaf./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b4ec0f7bfa0bd65f6b7f4c5a01e011cc""Thank you, Hagrid. I will take it from here."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="da3ff86f7bdc18d099a81cbe290a56b3"She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was close to the size of Malfoy Manor's own, but seemed to hold a bit less elegance./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2cc5872beeaca083c6e73e93dfe3fab1"They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Draco could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway on the right, but Professor McGonagall led the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b4efe1377d909ab2325a313103768373""Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses." Draco's heart sped up. Almost time to claim his place in Slytherin. "The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts." McGonagall continued. "You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room." Draco groaned internally. What idiot here didn't already know these things? Father had filled him in on almost everything about Hogwarts. It must be the stupid mudbloods that required this drawn out speech. Draco decided to zone out for the rest of the lecture./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="af48d3198d94ba7d6062d46af5e694d6""I shall return when we are ready for you," he heard McGonagall finally conclude. "Please wait quietly."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a7be78b29d3589373626e8abea6d12f3""How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Draco overheard Potter ask./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c43444545dd5c1d736114dd257f4b06d""Some sort of test, I think. Fred said that it hurts a lot." Weasley replied. Draco snorted. Apparently it wasn't only the mudbloods who were clueless. He turned away to begin to laugh about blood-traitor and mudblood idiocy with Crabbe and Goyle, when all of the sudden several people screamed./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6d26dc2afd101e8392aaaf1a2ea691e5"Now em style="box-sizing: border-box;"that/em was something he had never seen. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Of course he had heard about ghosts, but had never seen them for real. Draco would never admit to it, but they unnerved him. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="da9d03d9805e288a06ce10b882d3f938""My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1be653f53a080a33bab0f2472e15116b""New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="57ef8c15fda8bb439df91c8d1f9c5d2b"A few people nodded mutely./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0f90b03ee604241fb9ce8846fa9de952""Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="19349091d0cd33e9cd8fe2031ee22344""Move along now, said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="75553127a518d34f10e078d171038c28""Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4cd726a9f819d06a232e6bd5991a49f5"Draco got in line behind a girl with sleek black hair. He was confident. Nothing was going to go wrong. He would be sorted into Slytherin and all would be well. They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4df729702a04807685c00c422b3d367e"Draco gasped despite of himself. Father hadn't mentioned the ceiling either. A velvety black sky dotted with stars. It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and the Great Hall didn't simply open up to the the heavens./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="21569e880bdaa5ba7c61afa904d81d75""It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." whispered a girl that Draco didn't recognize./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2267df81fa071ceee2fe416deb214971"The first years walked under the thousands of floating candles, and past the four house tables laid with glittering golden plates and goblets, where the students sat, watching. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="941f503d99319d8fdac3f91039ff40f3"Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she placed what, Draco recognized from his father's description, the sorting hat./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0c7a6c035422610a3e9de86d9b65d4bb"For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d84cfdf448ddab077ff3bf1503ea3415"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8f64cf229b5acf9ab551e08405839fd1"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"But don't judge on what you see,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c067920830a48e38029bf42f09ac0e25"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I'll eat myself if you can find/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bf86c65ce37fd4ad3265dd6795fbf36e"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"A smarter hat than me./em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f3a0f57924e33fee80c9f7c3249f34a7"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You can keep your bowlers black,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c2723dd9c12392a08064b1c269495930"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Your top hats sleek and tall,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9d14032031b4747d5b4f05eb307f4ead"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="19640ecd9f875dec205ad3fc834dffc4"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"And I can cap them all./em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="acce4166d6263c9d2ddb03fd12234b64"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"There's nothing hidden in your head/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="90711c41e98fa6be571ea4e66de3f4d9"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"The Sorting Hat can't see,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="61a370afa264744d28c26a7e2c9eb8a0"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"So try me on and I will tell you/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d5b515cc4fb6b4118e631389336a5a68"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Where you ought to be./em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1eddd507e240d7690e2dac063e7c4143"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You might belong in Gryffindor,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d487d0e934b7ed22d30f8da3dfab9ae0"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Where dwell the brave at heart,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="aab0f1f3725125abecfd97b46b41f969"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Their daring, nerve, and chivalry/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8f8014b08e5343bfc386f7aa6d8bf0a2"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Set Gryffindors apart;/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4130d8f3c07b21fe2f8f6bae42bfa182"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You might belong in Hufflepuff,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="78c57831f6e0345dad9af026dbf7d13e"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Where they are just and loyal,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="81d992e9d8358c7d21907167983a7287"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Those patient Hufflepuffs are true/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0ba133f432aba851d6ab0f82566bbd86"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"And unafraid of toil;/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1fdb9b564dbe0b8a5f2a84c4b1ecf33d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="60fb229714fa1b1603c1adec57474915"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"if you've a ready mind,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="896e647d68a7ad72e505ac1cb808c7b1"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Where those of wit and learning,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f14d937b4363a5477f82be3d85eb5765"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Will always find their kind;/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f146e0ec533e24354279d4d3c3932775"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Or perhaps in Slytherin/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ef06899a914f77bd36eaa2c2f8c07756"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You'll make your real friends,/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1c3a93d99f79363d82035d9d6ff6ce78"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Those cunning folks use any means/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6585a2f0a240a4a0f7fd0de57d36a6d3"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"To achieve their ends./em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="de1303593f3d5ab3932edf91c7b1aeca"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"So put me on! Don't be afraid!/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e593e2c3182731edfe4241c81d3e0571"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"And don't get in a flap!/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="76c14141690cdb09be6e2ea58dc7c64d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You're in safe hands (though I have none)/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c6bf24164b68ac1b7f55d325df65a488"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"For I'm a Thinking Cap!/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0d403905602dc4a283c141d49a25d38a"The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="609f4414c9a9092901412be1321ec642""When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="71c7f5cc07a44601507c5542dc0a9518"A pink faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause -/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="823a7ff87ea53f258b42ba008fbd710b""HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="811931c4ece2f24e6b7c245d226c6557"The table to the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ca28cbcc4c6f6f0e07bbff0b6f2127e3""Bones, Susan!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="882ddea6f12800b84e5630dd851982d5""HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah. Draco yawned./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ac4bce82ec73b17f3f26618f529788ee""Boot, Terry!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="75bacf8b8c0700c2a67a3870c66667ca""RAVENCLAW!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="93e45fc5c752d8ca5a38f665fdf833a1"The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a0977aa138821fa6dd1986eaeb346388""Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, and "Brown, Lavender" went to Gryffindor. Draco winced at the obnoxious riot as Gryffindor gained their first new student./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="986b161c0b3fd0e62d2bf097f37bb5bf"A girl Draco recognized from family parties, "Bulstrode, Millicent", became the first new Slytherin, followed shortly by Crabbe./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="06bb7deaede60cfbdfd89e57e9fa5064""Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4994882ad39b828467d191552c914c3e""HUFFLEPUFF!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="66d4a956b193058954eb02bc2c01f42a"The girl who Draco had overheard commenting on the ceiling, "Granger, Hermione", was sorted into Gryffindor./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="acfe735956c4104e4336eed705e50719"When "Longbottom, Neville" was called, he tripped and fell over on his way to the stool. Draco smirked. How embarrassing. Probably the next Hufflepuff. To Draco's surprise he was named a Gryffindor. No better than a Hufflepuff though./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9697218b7aa7fcc2777d7c5df95f6e20""Malfoy, Draco!" called McGonagall, making Draco's heart jump. Why was he suddenly nervous? He was confident. Nothing was going to go wrong. He would be sorted into Slytherin and all would be well. He quickly collected himself and swaggered forward./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a7a61d40699fbfe8016990c7920084ea"When he sat down on the stool, the hat was placed over his head and fell to cover his eyes, leaving him to stare only at the underside of the patched garment./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2f8cbbe826f0f931c14d9db7c2b5fcc7""Well, the obvious choice for you would be Slytherin," a voice whispered in his ear. Draco smiled. "But, I'm not here to make the obvious choice." Draco's smile faltered. "You have strong courage underneath all of the cunning that has been drilled into you since birth. It would be a shame to put you anywhere except-" Draco's hands tightened into fists. Courage? he thought. The hat couldn't possibly be talking about -/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ef7f2c0bdfe8ff2fc79cdb1c344d36d3""GRYFFINDOR!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f001ffb0ce436f40af61dbe5a7b6eae3"And just like that, Draco's world collapsed around him. A faint buzzing filled his ears, and as the hat was lifted off his head he could see a few people clapping at the Gryffindor table. Others, who most likely recognized his family name, were staring at him with a mix of shock and confusion. He felt his feet guiding him towards the sea of black, red and gold, despite every fibre of his being screaming to turn the other way towards the Slytherins. As if in a trance, he went to the far end of the table, as far away as possible from the rest of the Gryffindors. He was afraid. Everything was going wrong. He was sorted into Gryffindor and nothing was well./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="26478db11a74b3c8675f463fee30cba7" /p 


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